Barcelona is highly recommended for a city trip with a toddler. We thought it was an ideal city to visit with (small) children and both we and our daughter enjoyed this trip immensely. When I ask what she wants to do today, she still regularly answers ‘to Barcelona’. I tell you what you can see and do in Barcelona with children and share my tips about transport, food and accommodation in Barcelona with a toddler!
Things to do and places to see in Barcelona with a toddler
#1 Visit the Sagrada Familia
If there is one sight that you should not miss in Barcelona, it is the Sagrada Familia. This is the most visited attraction in all of Spain and the symbol of Barcelona. This special building is also great to visit with a toddler. Our daughter was very impressed by all the colorful windows and thought that Pardoes from the Efteling lived here permanently. It is best to book tickets well in advance, because only a limited number of people are allowed in per time slot. With children, the skip-the-line tickets are also ideal, so you don’t have to wait too long.
Tip: Opposite the Sagrada Familia is a nice playground where you can swing before your visit. At the side of the Sagrada Familia you will find a Ben & Jerry’s store where you can eat a delicious ice cream afterwards.
#2 Discover the aquarium of Barcelona
At the port of Barcelona you will find L’Aquarium, the largest aquarium in Europe. When you visit Barcelona with a toddler, you should not miss this attraction. More than eleven thousand fish live in the aquarium. In addition, you will also find sharks, crustaceans and penguins. The highlight of the aquarium is the eighty meter long tunnel. Because you are surrounded by fish, it almost feels like you are walking through the ocean. The sharks swim right over you here. The Barcelona Aquarium is also a perfect activity for a rainy day.
Tip: Especially on weekends and in bad weather there is often a long queue at the aquarium. It is therefore better to order your tickets online. This way you can skip the queue and it is even cheaper. This can also be done on the spot. You will receive your tickets immediately in your email, via SMS and in the Tiqets app.
#3 Visit Barcelona beach
One of the advantages of a trip to Barcelona is that you don’t have to choose between a city break and a beach holiday. Barcelona has several fine beaches where you can get a breath of fresh air and where children can play in the sand. The most famous beach in Barcelona is Platja de la Barceloneta. This beach is located on a small boulevard and there are also a number of nice beach bars. Prefer a little more rest? Then walk a bit further to Platja del Bogatell, where few tourists come and where you mainly see many locals.
#4 Relax in Parc de la Ciutadella
One of my favorite places in Barcelona is Parc de la Ciutadella. This city park is ideal for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Parc de la Ciutadella is located in the popular El Born district and it is the largest park in the city. In the center of the park is a large pond where you can rent a boat. You should also take a look at the beautiful fountain, which, like the Sagrada Familia, was designed by Antoni Gaudí. There are also many beautiful hiking trails in the park and a number of nice playgrounds for children. Be sure to take a walk to the nearby Arc de Triomf. This 30 meter high red brick arch was the original entrance to Parc de la Ciutadella.
Tip: around the park there are all kinds of nice eateries where you can put together a perfect breakfast, lunch or picnic. We recommend the award-winning raspberry croissants from Pastelería Hofmann and the delicious fresh juices, sandwiches and salads from the Juice Dudes.
#5 Take a bike ride through Barcelona with a free child seat
Do you want to see a lot of Barcelona in a short time, but don’t feel like walking a lot with your toddler? Then consider a bike ride along the city’s most famous sights. In 3 hours you will cycle under the guidance of a Dutch guide along the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, Parc de la Ciutadella and Arc de Triomf, among others. The guide will also take you to the historic part of Barcelona, such as the Barri Gòtic and El Born districts. At Baja Bikes you can book a child seat up to 22 kilos for free. Special children’s bicycles are also available from the age of 4.
#6 Play hide and seek in Park Guell
In addition to the aforementioned Sagrada Familia, a visit to Park Guëll is also a must as far as I’m concerned. This park was also designed by Gaudí. Be sure to admire the undulating bench with colorful mosaic depicting a giant snake, the mosaic salamander on top of the double staircase and the impressive colonnade. Our daughter had a great time in this park and loved that she could play hide and seek everywhere. It is best to buy tickets in advance, because only 400 people are allowed to enter Park Guëll per half hour. This ensures that it is never too busy and that you can enjoy this beautiful park in relative peace.
Tip: travel by bus to the bus stop ‘Ctra del Carmel – Ana María Matute’. You then get off at the side entrance of Park Guëll and therefore do not have to climb all the stairs, as is the case at the main entrance.
#7 Discover the interactive floor of the Arenas shopping center
One of our toddler’s most surprising favorite sights was the Arenas de Barcelona shopping center, located in a former bullring. On the ground floor you will find a large interactive floor and this turned out to be a great success. The floor changes when you walk or jump and you can make clouds, stars, fireworks or autumn leaves yourself. Highly recommended to pop in if you’re in the area.
Tip: On top of the shopping center there is also a free panoramic terrace with a great view over Plaça d’Espanya. You can walk all around here and there are several nice eateries on the roof.
#8 Visit the Tibidabo amusement park
In Barcelona you will also find a real amusement park, located on the Tibidabo. With a height of 512 meters, this is the highest hill around Barcelona. In the amusement park you will find roller coasters, bumper cars, haunted houses and a large Ferris wheel. In addition to day tickets for the amusement park, which are not really worth it with a toddler, you can also buy individual tickets for the attractions that are outside the gate of the park, such as the Ferris wheel or the merry-go-round. Even if you don’t go in any attraction, a visit to Tibidabo is recommended. For example, walk on the Sky Walk promenade for a great view of Barcelona or take a look at the Iglesia del Sagrat Cor for free. This beautiful church stands on top of the Tibidabo and can be seen from almost the entire city.
#9 Take a boat trip along the coast
Another recommendation for a fun activity with a toddler in Barcelona is a boat trip along the coast. Las Golondrinas offers boat tours along the Barcelona coastline from the port of Barcelona. The starting point is close to the aquarium, so you can combine these two activities well. A cruise takes about an hour, so it’s doable with a toddler. From the open deck you have a great view of various sights in Barcelona.
#10 Visit the many playgrounds
What really surprised me is that there are playgrounds almost everywhere in the city, even at all the famous sights such as the Sagrada Familia and Park Guëll. Now I have to say that I’m probably even more aware now that I have a child of my own, but I thought it was ideal that we could stop at so many different places to play. Fortunately, our daughter enjoys herself everywhere and most toddlers have long been happy if they spend the whole day with their parents. Yet it is very nice to be able to alternate visiting places of interest with a playground in many places.
Tip: If you type ‘parque infantil’ in Barcelona on Google Maps, you will see the playgrounds in your area.
Flying to Barcelona with children under 2 years old
Children under the age of 2 do not have to pay the full price of an airline ticket because they sit on their parents’ laps. It differs per airline whether a toddler flies for free or whether additional (administrative) costs are charged. All airlines allow you to bring a folding buggy for children under 2 years of age for free. We use the Easywalker Miley when traveling.
Transport in Barcelona with a toddler
Barcelona with a buggy
In Barcelona you will find no less than seven different hills spread across the city, which makes certain areas (for example around Park Guëll) challenging with a buggy. Fortunately, many neighborhoods are surprisingly accessible with a buggy, such as Barceloneta, El Born, Barrio Gotico, El Raval and l’Eixample. We were therefore very happy that we had taken him with us during this city trip.
Barcelona with the hop-on hop-off bus
If you are in Barcelona for a relatively short time, the hop-on hop-off bus is recommended. We used this for two days and found it ideal with a toddler. I would advise you to stay seated for most of the ride and see a number of sights from the bus, because you sometimes have to wait a long time at a stop until the next bus comes. Our daughter loved sitting upstairs in the front and looking at the city. Children under the age of 4 travel for free on the hop-on hop-off bus.
Barcelona by local bus
We also made extensive use of the local bus network. This was ideal, because unlike the metro you don’t have to go up and down stairs (not all metro stations have a lift) and you can also see everything from the bus along the way.
Tip: Hola Barcelona public transport card
Are you planning to use public transport in Barcelona a lot? Then I advise you to purchase a Hola Barcelona public transport card. This card gives you unlimited use of all public transport in Barcelona. The train from Barcelona Airport and the Montjuïc funicular are also included. Tickets are available for 48, 72, 96 or 120 hours.
Tips for eating in Barcelona with a toddler
#1 Visit the various fresh fruit markets
Almost every neighborhood in Barcelona has its own fresh market that opens its doors early. The most famous is of course the Mercat de la Boqueria, the largest fresh market in all of Spain. Here you will find an extensive range of fresh fruit, juices, manchego cheese, raw ham, olives, sandwiches, empanadas, fried fish and tapas. Besides la Boqueria, Mercat de Santa Caterina in El Born and Mercat de la Barceloneta in Barceloneta are also recommended. We started the day every day with delicious fresh fruit from the Mercat de la Barceloneta right next to our apartment.
#2 Get breakfast from a bakery
In Spain it is also very common to have breakfast outside. You will find a bakery in almost every street. We often picked up a fresh breakfast at the bakery in the morning and then ate it on the beach, in a park or on one of the many squares.
#3 Extensive lunch instead of dinner
In Spain they eat relatively late. Most restaurants didn’t even reopen until our daughter went to bed. We therefore often chose to have an extensive, and often a bit later, lunch. This way we could still go to all our favorite eateries in Barcelona, without having to deal with an overtired toddler.
#4 Dinner at a beach bar
For dinner we often opted for a beach bar. These are open all day and therefore ideal for an early dinner. Moreover, our daughter could play in the sand while we ate. Usually we visited the famous beach Platja de Barceloneta, where there is also a small boulevard. My favorite beach bars are La Deliciosa and Bo-Kaap Beach Club. Both have delicious tapas. A bit pricey, but the location makes up for it.
#5 Tucco Real Food
As far as I’m concerned, Tucco Real Food deserves a separate mention, because this small restaurant is really fantastic with (small) children. Here they make the most delicious pasta and pasta sauces according to grandmother’s recipe. My favorites were the filled pasta with spinach, ricotta and pine nuts in pesto sauce, the eggplant from the oven and the pasta with signature Tucco sauce. All desserts, such as the cheesecake, brownie and tiramisu, are homemade and taste great. A menu with pasta of your choice, a drink and a dessert costs less than 10 euros, so it is also a perfect budget option. Tucco is also super kid friendly. The restaurant opens early, has special children’s portions and even has its own play corner. Highly recommended!
Where to stay in Barcelona with children?
Barcelona has a huge range of accommodations, but it can still be quite a challenge to find a child-friendly hotel or apartment in Barcelona. Below I have collected some tips for a stay in Barcelona with children.
- Favorite neighborhoods in Barcelona with kids. Personally, I would recommend staying in the Barceloneta, Poblenou, El Born or l’Eixample neighborhoods with a toddler. Barceloneta and Poblenou are ideal because you are within walking distance of the beach, l’Eixample is the most centrally located and El Born is my favorite neighborhood in Barcelona, because of the cozy eateries and the fact that it is close to Parc de la Ciutadella. The area around the Sagrada Familia is also a great place to stay with a toddler.
- Choose an accommodation with a camping bed. Both at Booking.com and Airbnb you can easily see whether an accommodation has a baby bed or camp bed available. It is now possible to request a cot at more and more accommodations. Please note whether there is a possible additional charge for a cot.
- Choose an apartment or family hotel. Personally, I thought it was ideal to stay in an apartment instead of a hotel. Especially since our daughter still sleeps in the afternoon, it is nice to have some space yourself instead of sitting quietly in the dark in your hotel room. It is also very nice with a child to have a small kitchen and refrigerator. Another great option is a family hotel, where you also have extra facilities especially for (small) children.
- Be mindful of stairs. We stayed in this nice apartment in Barceloneta, but the apartment was on the fourth floor. Many old buildings in Barcelona do not have a lift, making it quite a hassle to carry a toddler and buggy up the stairs. Next time I would rather choose an apartment on a lower floor or a building with an elevator. So before you book, check carefully on which floor an apartment is located and whether there is an elevator.
- In the summer, opt for an accommodation with a swimming pool. In the summer months it can get very hot in Barcelona. It is therefore very nice if you can splash in the pool in the afternoon after a morning of sightseeing.
Our tips for accommodations in Barcelona
Apartment: Absolute Sagrada Familia
Well-equipped two-bedroom apartments with a large panoramic communal terrace with great views of the Sagrada Familia. Free cots for children under 2 years old.
Family hotel: Novotel Barcelona City
Centrally located modern hotel with roof terrace with outdoor pool and panoramic views of Barcelona. A 20 minute walk from the beach.
Apartment: Deco Apartments Barcelona-Born Apt.
Attractive and stylish apartments in the heart of El Born, a 5-minute walk from la Ciutadella and a 12-minute walk from the beach. Free cots for children under 2 years old.
Barcelona really is a fantastic city to visit with children. Barcelona is filled with parks and playgrounds where kids can run around and play. Parc de la Ciutadella, Park de Joan Miró, and Park Güell all have play areas. Many restaurants in Barcelona are family-friendly and offer children’s menus. Tapas and paella are often enjoyed by kids as well. With its mix of culture, outdoor activities, and attractions, Barcelona provides an enjoyable and enriching experience for families traveling with children. It’s a city that offers a perfect blend of education, entertainment, and relaxation for everyone to enjoy.
